In the updated TOEFL iBT Writing Section, Build a Sentence tests your ability to arrange words and phrases into grammatically correct, meaningful English sentences or questions.

According to ETS, this task measures your command of English sentence structure. The current test includes 10 Build a Sentence questions, alongside the Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion tasks.

A. Fundamental Sentence Structure

1. Basic Sentence Construction

• Subject + Verb (SV)

• Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)

• Subject + Verb + Complement (SVC)

2. Sentence Elements

• Subjects and predicates

• Direct and indirect objects

• Subject and object complements

3. Sentence Types

• Declarative sentences

• Interrogative sentences

• Imperative sentences

• Exclamatory sentences

4. Simple Sentences

• Single independent clauses

• Basic word order

• Complete thoughts

5. Compound Sentences

• Coordinating conjunctions

• Joining independent clauses

• Compound sentence word order

6. Complex Sentences

• Main clauses

• Subordinate clauses

• Clause arrangement

7. Compound-Complex Sentences

• Multiple independent clauses

• Dependent clause placement

• Logical sentence connections

8. Sentence Completeness

• Required sentence elements

• Sentence fragments

• Correct sentence boundaries

B. Word Order and Phrase Arrangement

9. Standard English Word Order

• Subject–Verb–Object arrangement

• Word placement in statements

• Word placement in questions

10. Noun Phrase Construction

• Articles and determiners

• Adjectives before nouns

• Complex noun phrases

11. Verb Phrase Construction

• Main verbs and auxiliary verbs

• Multiword verb phrases

• Verb phrase ordering

12. Adjective Phrase Placement

• Attributive adjectives

• Predicative adjectives

• Adjective complements

13. Adverb Placement

• Adverbs of frequency

• Adverbs of manner

• Adverbs of time and place

14. Prepositional Phrase Placement

• Prepositions of time

• Prepositions of place

• Prepositions of direction and purpose

15. Determiners and Quantifiers

• Articles: a, an, the

• Demonstratives and possessives

• Some, any, much, many, few, little

16. Pronoun Placement

• Subject pronouns

• Object pronouns

• Reflexive and possessive pronouns

C. Verb Forms, Tenses, and Agreement

17. Present Tense Construction

• Present simple

• Present continuous

• Present perfect

18. Past Tense Construction

• Past simple

• Past continuous

• Past perfect

19. Future Time Expressions

• Will + base verb

• Be going to + verb

• Future continuous and future perfect

20. Subject–Verb Agreement

• Singular and plural subjects

• Third-person singular verbs

• Agreement with complex subjects

21. Auxiliary Verb Placement

• Be, do, and have

• Auxiliary verbs in questions

• Auxiliary verbs in negatives

22. Modal Verb Construction

• Can, could, may, might

• Must, should, would

• Modal verbs with perfect infinitives

23. Active and Passive Voice

• Active sentence patterns

• Passive sentence patterns

• Passive constructions with modals

24. Infinitive Constructions

• To + base verb

• Verb + infinitive

• Infinitives of purpose

25. Gerund Constructions

• Verb + -ing

• Gerunds after prepositions

• Gerunds as subjects and objects

26. Verb Complement Patterns

• Verb + object + infinitive

• Verb + gerund

• Verb + that-clause

D. Questions and Interrogative Structures

27. Yes/No Question Construction

• Auxiliary + subject + verb

• Do/does/did questions

• Modal questions

28. WH-Question Construction

• What, where, when, why

• Who, whom, whose, which

• How, how often, how long

29. Indirect Questions

High priority

• Could you tell me…?

• Do you know…?

• I wonder…

• Statement word order inside embedded questions

30. Embedded Questions

• Questions within statements

• Questions within other questions

• Embedded clause word order

31. Polite Question Structures

• Could you explain…?

• Would you mind…?

• Can you let me know…?

32. Question Tags

• Positive statement + negative tag

• Negative statement + positive tag

• Auxiliary agreement

33. Negative Questions

• Don't you…?

• Isn't it…?

• Haven't they…?

34. Alternative Questions

• Questions with or

• Choice-based questions

• Parallel question structures

E. Clauses and Complex Constructions

35. Relative Clauses

High priority

• Who, whom, whose

• Which and that

• Where and when

36. Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses

• Essential information

• Additional information

• Relative pronoun placement

37. Noun Clauses

• That-clauses

• Whether and if clauses

• WH-noun clauses

38. Adverbial Clauses

• Time: when, while, before, after

• Reason: because, since, as

• Purpose: so that, in order that

39. Conditional Sentences

• Zero conditional

• First conditional

• Second and third conditionals

40. Reported Speech

• Reported statements

• Reported questions

• Reporting verbs and tense changes

41. Concession and Contrast Clauses

• Although and though

• Even though and whereas

• While and despite

42. Cause-and-Effect Constructions

• Because and since

• So and therefore

• As a result and consequently

43. Time-Clause Construction

• Before and after

• Until and as soon as

• By the time and whenever

44. Reduced and Participial Clauses

• Present participle clauses

• Past participle clauses

• Reduced relative clauses

F. Advanced Sentence Arrangement

45. Comparison Structures

• Comparative adjectives

• Superlative adjectives

• As…as constructions

46. Correlative Conjunctions

• Either…or

• Neither…nor

• Both…and

• Not only…but also

47. Parallel Structures

• Parallel nouns and verbs

• Parallel phrases

• Parallel clauses

48. Negation and Negative Word Order

• Not and never

• No longer and hardly

• Negative expressions with auxiliaries

49. Emphasis and Inversion

• It-cleft sentences

• What-cleft sentences

• Negative inversion

50. Sentence Meaning and Context

• Logical sequencing of phrases

• Appropriate responses in conversations

• Correct grammatical and semantic relationships

Example: TOEFL Build a Sentence Practice

Original practice question based on the task format

Student A: "I haven't received the seminar schedule yet."

Student B: Arrange the phrases to form a correct question.

Select the phrases in the correct order.

AVAILABLE PHRASES

where the seminarDo you knowwill take placetomorrow

ResetCheck answer

Recommended Preparation Priorities

Focus particularly on these six areas:

1. Indirect questions and embedded clauses

2. Relative clauses and complex sentences

3. Subject–verb agreement and verb forms

4. Question formation and auxiliary verbs

5. Adverb, adjective, and prepositional phrase placement

6. Logical word order in conversational replies

These are especially relevant to constructing complete sentences from scrambled words and phrases.

Official reference: ETS — TOEFL iBT Writing Section